TNT has been mostly MIA for Canadian teams in 2024. The U.S. network has shown 4 games involving Canadian teams this season (not counting its feeble 2023 Heritage Classic coverage), 2 of those games in the last 10 days. TNT will more than double that total in March with 5 games, 2 of them on Sundays.
The first 3 Wednesdays feature a Canadian team with Auston Matthews and Toronto welcoming their Great Lakes rival from Buffalo (6), Alex Ovechkin traveling to see his buddy Connor McDavid in Edmonton (13), and Matthews visiting Ovechkin in the U.S. capital (20). The Sunday visits have McDavid against Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh (10) and Vancouver and the 6-40-9 line hosting Anaheim (31).
The 2 Toronto games are the only ones on TNT for the whole season with Canadian teams that don't feature Edmonton and Vancouver. This excludes the Winnipeg Jets, a likely playoff team.
ESPN was so exhausted (sarcasm) with showing a game on ABC (Edmonton on the road) and ESPN (Toronto on the road) that they are taking a month off from Canadian teams.
ESPN+/Hulu added 2 Toronto Maple Leafs road games with trips to Philadelphia (14) and Carolina (24). ESPN+/Hulu originally had a couple of Edmonton Oilers road games in the east (Boston and Buffalo) early this month but shifted its schedule. The online service actually comes to Toronto for a rare Maple Leafs home game with New Jersey (26). The U.S. outlet dares to take over a Hockey Night in Canada game with the Maple Leafs on the road in Buffalo (30). Even the Sabres fans would switch over to CBLT, channel 5 in Toronto, unless Sportsnet grabs exclusivity that night.
Assuming ESPN+/Hulu keeps that matchup, the U.S. audience will get 2 Toronto-Buffalo games, one at each arena.
The NHL Network has a pair of Showcase games where the Winnipeg Jets remember their "southeast" roots with trips to Carolina (2) and Washington (24). At least the NHL Network will show the Jets.
The U.S. channel also has Winnipeg in Buffalo (3).
A number of conflicts with the ABC and ESPN collective family means only a single Hockey Night in Canada game in March. That would be Toronto in Montréal (9), the only all-Canadian matchup that the NHL Network isn't afraid to cover.
The U.S. channel will likely carry the Rogers Sportsnet feed on a Monday night as Alex Ovechkin and his team comes to Calgary (18).
The NHL Network is forced to blow off Connor McDavid versus Auston Matthews on March 23 so ABC can show a lame prime time game. The good game will be on ESPN+ that night. Really. The NHL in the U.S. has to get past the mentality of only having 1 game at a time on national TV.
A reminder for our U.S. readers that games not on a major channel or the NHL Network are available on ESPN+.
TNT
March 6
Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p
March 10
Edmonton @ Pittsburgh, 1p
March 13
Washington @ Edmonton, 10p
March 20
Toronto @ Washington, 7:30p
March 31
Anaheim @ Vancouver, 3:30p
NHL Network
March 2
Winnipeg @ Carolina, 12:30p (NHLN Showcase)
March 3
Winnipeg @ Buffalo, 7p
March 9
Toronto @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)
March 18
Washington @ Calgary, 8:30p
March 24
Winnipeg @ Washington, 12:30p (NHLN Showcase)
ESPN+/Hulu
March 14
Toronto @ Philadelphia, 7:30p
March 24
Toronto @ Carolina, 6p
March 26
New Jersey @ Toronto, 7:30p
March 30
Toronto @ Buffalo, 7p (HNIC)
Hockey Night in Canada
March 2
NY Rangers @ Toronto, 7p/Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p/Ottawa @ Philadelphia, 7p
Pittsburgh @ Calgary, 10p
March 9
Toronto @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ San Jose, 7p
Winnipeg @ Vancouver, 10p
March 16
Carolina @ Toronto, 7p/Montréal @ Calgary, 7p
Colorado @ Edmonton, 10p/Washington @ Vancouver, 10p
March 23
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p/Ottawa @ New Jersey, 7p
Calgary @ Vancouver, 10p
March 30
Toronto @ Buffalo, 7p/Carolina @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 7p
Los Angeles @ Calgary, 10p
Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts
March 2 Edmonton @ Seattle, 4p
March 3 Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 9p
March 4 Boston @ Toronto, 7p/Seattle @ Calgary, 9:30p
March 5 Edmonton @ Boston, 7:30p
March 6 Buffalo @ Toronto, 7p
March 7 Calgary @ Tampa Bay, 7p
March 9 Edmonton @ Buffalo, 12:30p/Calgary @ Florida, 4p
March 10 Edmonton @ Pittsburgh, 1p/Calgary @ Carolina, 5p
March 11 Washington @ Winnipeg, 7:30p
March 13 Nashville @ Winnipeg, 7:30p/Washington @ Edmonton, 10p
March 18 Washington @ Calgary, 8:30p
March 20 Toronto @ Washington, 7:30p
March 24 Buffalo @ Calgary, 9p
March 25 Los Angeles @ Vancouver, 9p
March 26 Calgary @ Chicago, 8:30p
March 27 Ottawa @ Buffalo, 7p
March 28 Los Angeles @ Edmonton, 9p
March 30 Anaheim @ Edmonton, 4p
March 31 Anaheim @ Vancouver, 3:30p
We don't expect changes in coverage on either side of the border for the NHL trade deadline on March 8. Rogers Sportsnet (10 am Eastern) and TSN (8 am Eastern) have their own efforts. The NHL Network simulcasts the Sportsnet feed until they have their own coverage (2 pm Eastern). ESPN+ carries the TSN coverage until ESPN2 takes over until the 3 pm Eastern deadline.
The U.S. strategy of late is to allow Canadian content during the boring parts and shut down the really good coverage when things get heated. ESPN and the NHL Network are not nearly as good at tracking last-minute deals as Sportsnet and TSN.
The Canadian teams are often at a disadvantage at the trade deadline. The Noah Hanifin (Calgary Flames) rumours are a classic example. Only U.S. teams have a chance to acquire the defenseman at the trade deadline. This is a disadvantage to the team trading Hanifin and those teams who could use him (Toronto).
We see Canadian teams trade a superstar and the U.S. team almost immediately signs that player to an extension. Canadian teams aren't doing that in reverse.
We are in the middle of a NHL Center Ice free preview through March 3. They are random and we can't explain the pattern. Good for the U.S. viewers since there are no Hockey Night in Canada games on U.S. television this weekend.
The recently cancelled W5 on CTV was called that because journalism is made up of the 5 Ws: who, what, where, when and why (with an appearance by how) of a story. We know the Winnipeg Jets are concerned about their shrinking attendance and specifically, season ticket holders.
Winnipeg Jets chairman Mark Chipman wants to get the season ticket holder total back to 13,000, about where it was 3 years ago. The total is down to under 9,500. Winnipeg has averaged 13,098 in its 15,225 hockey capacity.
What gets lost in the official journalism is Why. Why are fans not coming out as strong for the Jets, as opposed to other Canadian teams? The fan experience is listed in the comments. High prices for things other than the tickets. Too high of a price for upper deck tickets. No one comes out and says a lack of corporate support but that is an issue. Jets ownership not being responsive to fans' needs is on the yellow legal pad.
Some comments whispered parking troubles and a reluctance to come to downtown Winnipeg. Those whispers usually come from people who never go to the downtown in question and throw stones from far away. The old arena and CFL football stadium were in the Polo Park area of the city, southwest of downtown.
Gary Bettman has 2 levels of logic, depending on where the team is located. Bettman was eager to evacuate the NHL out of Winnipeg and Quebec City in the 1990s on a whim while keeping U.S. franchises such as Arizona and Florida with more lifelines than they can handle.
The whispers out of Quebec City is that the city doesn't have enough corporate money to buy up skyboxes. Phoenix does but that isn't enough when they can't sell out a 4,600 seat arena in Tempe, AZ.
You get the idea that season tickets are more important to Winnipeg Jets management than overall attendance. They should fight both fires. A family type discount on food, drinks, and parking should be encouraged. Perhaps federal legislation to get help to encourage more corporate money spent on sporting events.
Some of this concern is a post pandemic economy where fans want to afford to go to a Jets game and can't come up with the money. A Stanley Cup run can help. A Stanley Cup win would really help.
The Battle of Bay Street set a new PWHL attendance record at Scotiabank Arena for the Montréal game in Toronto. The new mark is 19,285 for a Toronto 3-0 win over Montréal.
The new mark surpassed the 18,013 crowd at the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championship and 13,316 set in St. Paul by PWHL Minnesota on January 6.
A youngster named Quinne was shown on TV holding up a sign that read "We're way louder than Leafs fans."
The PWHL could have sat back and played to smaller crowds, but happy that the league took the challenge and have seen that fans will come out to watch women play hockey.
The NHL has picked some unusual and lame locations for its U.S. based outdoor games. So we should acknowledge when they get one correct. Ohio Stadium aka the Horseshoe will finally host a NHL outdoor game. The 102,780-seat capacity in a stadium that has been around since 1922 are key attributes in having an outdoor game.
The stadium deserves the Winter Classic instead of the lesser Stadium Series moniker. Your humble narrator has been to Ohio Stadium and Michigan Stadium, which has hosted a game involving the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Detroit Red Wings in that 2025 game on March 1. This sets up a Michigan-Ohio State type rivalry game.
Montréal hasn't hosted a NHL outdoor game yet has played in 4 outdoor games, 3 of them in Canada. Columbus has never played in a NHL outdoor game.
The $870 million that Quebec will spend on a new roof for Olympic Stadium opens up possibilities for the CFL (Grey Cup) and NHL (Heritage Classic). Montréal is the only Canadian NHL city or CFL city to never host an outdoor game.
A Heritage Classic with no roof at Stade Olympique would be enchanting but the stadium will be closed during the 4-year renovation project. Understand that we are talking Quebec where 4 years and $870 million will not be enough to finish the project.
According to this CBC News article, "The roof will be fixed, rigid and feature a transparent glass hoop, so the tower will be visible from the inside. It will also flood the stadium with daylight and offer a view of the night sky."
Montréal hasn't hosted the Grey Cup since 2008. Vancouver has the second-longest with 2014 as the last date, though the 2024 Grey Cup will be at BC Place.
The NHL allowed Vancouver to host an "outdoor" game with Vancouver's roof in 2014. The league could have done an "outdoor" game in Olympic Stadium even before the renovations.
Montréal has 2 viable options outside of Stade Olympique: Stade Saputo (19,619) and Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (25,012). Expanding seating at Molson Stadium is a lot easier. Stade IGA, formally Stade Du Maurier, in Jarry Park seats fewer than 12,000 so that won't work.
A new Olympic Stadium could welcome back the Toronto Blue Jays for spring training or a temporary home for the hopefully relocated Tampa Bay Rays.
Quebec City's best shot would be Stade Telus-Université Laval, home of the Laval Rouge et Or of U Sports football, at slightly more than the tennis arena at 12,817.
Chicago will host its 4th outdoor game with the 2025 Winter Classic. Montréal has 0 with no plans to fix this.
February 6 Edmonton @ Las Vegas, 10p Mike Monaco/Cassie Campbell-Pascall/Emily Kaplan ESPN+/Hulu
February 17 Edmonton @ Dallas, 3p Mike Monaco/AJ Mleczko ABC
February 19 Toronto @ St. Louis, 1p Bob Wischusen/Ryan Callahan/Leah Hextall ESPN
February 21 Boston @ Edmonton, 10p John Forslund/Eddie Olczyk/Jackie Redmond TNT
February 28 St. Louis @ Edmonton, 8:30p John Forslund/Eddie Olczyk/Aly Lozoff TNT
The first time a Canadian team was on ABC didn't start out well. The previous game had gone to overtime. Bob Wischusen didn't tell the ABC audience where to find the Edmonton Oilers until just after the game started. ESPNews was the backup channel.
ABC joined the game with 12:23 remaining in the 1st period.
We wondered if Citytv would simsub the ABC feed but that didn't happen. Rogers Sportsnet also carried the game nationally.
The Edmonton-Dallas game drew 759,000 on ABC, a bit below the first game of the day (Los Angeles at Boston) that drew 823,000. Given there was only a single home market, the Oilers drew quite well.
The Edmonton Oilers fell a game short of the record for the NHL longest winning streak, finishing with a 16-game winning streak. That was tied for second-best (with Columbus 2016-2017) and 1 short of Pittsburgh (1992-1993). ESPN was going to pick up the Oilers game in Anaheim on ESPN2 had Edmonton won in Las Vegas.
John Forslund, who isn't even a TNT regular, has called 3 games in Edmonton for TNT this season. This doesn't count the Heritage Classic, where Forslund wasn't even in Canada.
Love how ESPN will promote the Battle of Alberta for its NHL coverage through ESPN+ Power Play but is afraid to carry those teams playing each other.
The NHL Network went for the Tampa Bay feed with the Ottawa game. Dave Randorf and Brian Engblom are better than most of the U.S. national announcing teams. Too bad they are trapped in Tampa Bay.
Victor Findlay goes from English radio to English TV, filling in for Bryan Mudryk on Habs telecasts on TSN2. Mudryk is taking his yearly jump into calling curling. Kenzie Lalonde will get some chances to fill in on radio for Findlay on the Montréal games.
The NHL Network couldn't carry the early game on February 10 to not interfere with a ESPN+/Hulu game. Seriously? The channel did something rarely done these days but used to do every so often: carry a late HNIC game. Rogers Sportsnet doesn't claim exclusivity on a late HNIC game.
The promos came easily on the late telecast instead of the struggle during the early games.
The 2024 Junos, with new host Nelly Furtado, will be in Halifax on March 24 on CBC. The promo mentioned CBC and CBC Gem as opposed to just CBC Gem.
The new slogan for CBC Gem, based on the promo, is that CBC Gem offers "no payment entertainment."
We got 6 promos from the February 24 early game, a rare 3 in the 1st period and 2 within a minute of each other. The lone promo in the 3rd period aired before the period so no mentions during the actual final period of an exciting game.
For those new readers, Rogers Sportsnet is required to air 6 CBC promos during Hockey Night in Canada. Ideally, there should be 2 promos per period, within game action and not next to a commercial.
February 10 late game: One More Time; Allegiance (1st); PWHL February 17; CBC Gem (2nd); 2024 Junos; The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down (3rd)
February 24 early game: One More Time; CBC News app; PWHL March 2 (1st); The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down; 2024 Junos (2nd); Allegiance (3rd)
photo credits: NHL; ESPN+
Twitter captures: @Devin_Heroux; @dcodysweet
